Page 23 - PERSIAN GULF ADMINISTRATION REPORTS V1

BUS1IIRK RESIDENCY POR 1873-74. 15

The districts of Bushire are assessed at about Rupees 1,50,000.
Octroi duties arc also levied at Bushire gate.
The farmer of customs employs his own servants to manage, Gov­
ernment officials not interfering. The transactions are kept secret, no
returns being required by the Government.
The system is felt to be inconvenient by traders.
Duty,—European merchants pay 5 per cent, ad valorem in money or
kind on exports and imports in accordance with Treaty stipulations. This
payment frees them from internal transit duties.
Native merchants pay in an established scale varying for different
articles. The Tables marked M. N. show these rates.
The working of the arrangements as regards Europeans is not
invariably to their advantage. There arc certain articles which will not
bear 5 j)cr cent, unless private arrangements could be made with the
Custom House oflicials, Europeans would be debarred from trading in
these goods. Each Custom House being as a rule independent of others.
The farmers at the interior towns naturally dislike a system which pre­
vents their getting a share of duty in foreign imports and exports. No
doubt annoyances occur in consequence. The general result is, however,
favorable to the trade of the foreigners.

At Xangah the duty is uniformly per cent, for all, and at Bunder
Abbass 3 \ per cent.
Arab Coast,—With the exception of the Islands of Bahrein the
trade of the Arab ports is comparatively petty. A small band of Banyans
usually resides at each place and make a living? little more.
The prosperity of the Coastal Arab depends mainly on the pearl
fisheries. The total outturn of these was estimated by Colonel Felly in
1865 at 40 lakhs of rupees or £400,000. There is no reason to suppose
that any remarkable increase or decrease in the trade has since occurred.

Bahrein.—The trade of Bahrein has been flourishing of late years.
The accompanying Tables marked O. P. and Q. speak for themselves.
They have been drawn up for information carefully collected by the news
agent. It will be readily observed from the figures that Bahrein like
Lingah is a depot whence other ports and districts draw supplies of cer-
tain articles imported to Bahrein from other places.
The Table Q. shows the amount of revenue of the Chief and the
sources whence derived. The aggregate is double what it was estimated
at twenty years ago.
Birate Coast,—The Tables marked It. S. T. U. V. W. exhibit the
import and export trade of the ports of Abi Tliebi, Debey, Sharkah,
Ajman, Umm-cl-Kowcin, and Ras-el-Kheyma situated on the Arab
littoral known as the Pirate Coast. The table X. shows the number and
tonnage of native craft trading with the port of Shargah, where a
Native Agent resides.
(Sd.) E. C. Ross, Lieut.-Col.}
8 Poltl. Jtesdt., Persian Gulf.